In an article about pruning fellow blogger Lee May stated, "In some ways, all gardening is unnatural, including watering, fertilizing, mulching, weeding – any intervention that goes beyond what nature would do." This sentence resonated with me and got me thinking about some of the features in my garden that are contrivances and whether they are harmonious or discordant with the surrounding environment. And I realized the whole garden is contrived in some respects. If something is contrived does it lack harmony with its environment? You be the judge.
The pink chintz thyme overwintered well and none died out. I don't recall that I watered. There must have been enough intermittent snow last winter to keep the plants alive.
This year, I tried dividing thyme to fill in some of the bare spots. Dividing was relatively easy. I found a resource that suggested dividing it in 2 x 2 inch squares and transplanting it. I wasn't that methodical and divided into about 4 inch pieces. The thyme I managed to keep watered stayed alive. Alas, I didn't always remember to water.
Almost all of the thyme has bloomed, which I didn't think would happen. It's like having my own pink spiral galaxy.
The spiral was a huge self indulgence. I'm not sure if the pink chintz thyme and river rock are "united in perfect harmony" or with their surroundings. (My apologies to Stevie Wonder and Sir Paul!) However, the pollinators love the thyme and that's good enough for me. To read more about the development of the spiral, check out Spiral Vision and Spiral Vision, Part Deux.
I'm joining Donna's Word 4 Wednesday meme on harmony at Garden Walk, Garden Talk. Please read her exploration of harmony in the garden and other bloggers interpretation of the harmony theme. Thanks Donna for hosting!
I have a dry riverbed in my garden that is a spiral of river rocks and thyme. Spirals are a universal symbol that is echoed in nature. I think I'm drawn to spirals much like many other people. The river rocks anchor the spiral and the pink chintz thyme repeats the theme.
I'm joining Donna's Word 4 Wednesday meme on harmony at Garden Walk, Garden Talk. Please read her exploration of harmony in the garden and other bloggers interpretation of the harmony theme. Thanks Donna for hosting!
Pekne odvedená práca. Páči sa mi to. To musela byť námaha nanosiť toľko kamienkov :-)
ReplyDeletePozdravujem a prajem pekný deň!
Nicely done. I like it. It must have been so much effort ment stones :-)
I greet and wish you a nice day!
Daniela, it was hard to figure out the rock placement initially, but it got easier as it went along.
DeleteBolo ťažké prísť na to, rockovú umiestnenie spočiatku, ale mám jednoduchšie, pretože to išlo ďalej.
It's really coming together and looking good. Nature is a beautiful thing, but as with anything else, all things can be improved which is what we gardeners do.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
Sometimes, the rocks dislodge so I keep fiddling with the placement. I hope I can get some more thyme in to fill some of the empty spots, but I'm happy with the outcome.
DeleteHeyyy, Theta. Thank you for mentioning my pruning piece. I enjoyed your post.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I believe gardening is an art, one that includes many elements. Nature creates its own art, of course, but it would not be gardening if we did not do something to make it even more pleasing to us. Your (and my) dry-bed streams, our selection and placement of plants, my pruning, all are part of our art. And, your spiral with thyme is art that moves and inspires. Beautifully done.
All best,
Lee
Thanks Lee! It's a fun form and I hope it improves with time. I think my placement of plants is more hit or miss, but I seem to be getting better the longer I garden.
DeleteThanks for joining, Theta. Circles are indeed a harmonious form, and it is good you added this in your post. I did not even touch on form and scale and how they relate to an overall theme of harmony. Uniting in harmony is but the esscence of the exercise.
ReplyDeleteDonna, you're so eloquent. You expressed well what was an inchoate thought for me.
DeleteI love this concept! Your thyme looks very happy. I bet the pollinators are enjoying all those blooms!
ReplyDeleteKarin, I loved it conceptually for the longest time and it took a while for it to manifest.
DeleteI love your spiral. And the pink thyme is fabulous!!!! If we were to go back to "all natural", I would be living in a patch of briars and poison ivy because that's what was here when we built the house! ;)
ReplyDeleteMy backyard was a big patch of dirt and weeds when I started. Thanks for the reminder.
DeleteI love your image of the pink spiral galaxy! And I love the soft, kind of "spilling" quality of the thyme with the round stones. (Speaking of which, where did you get the river rocks? I've been looking for them and not finding them at all the usual suspects.)
ReplyDeleteThe thyme spilling over reminds me of pictures of fractals in chaos theory and how the ends continue to bifurcate.
DeleteI purchased the river rocks at a gravel yard in Santa Fe called Albert Montano Sand and Gravel. There should be comparable places in Albuquerque. I got the ordinary river rock, but there was polished river rock in different colors, too.
Circles are a very harmonious form and it was nice you noted form in the garden since I did not look at form and structure. Thanks for joining. The butterfly is a beauty. I did write my comment this morning for your post but internet went out at the hotel. Finally home, I can get back to blogging.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're back home. Hope you had a great time at the fling! The original comment posted so the internet connection might have been lost after that.
DeleteReminds me of the 60's. he he. Just kidding. It reminds me of colorado landscapes. Love the miniature thyme.
ReplyDeleteI forget that you were a dead head.
Deletewow I love that spiral and it gives me food for thought...the thyme is also lovely and I have some growing along the edge of the patio and water fall rock where it is hot and dry...love the pink blossoms.
ReplyDeleteIt starting to fade now, but I love watching it progress from green to bright pink.
DeleteYou have very beautiful blogs , I like so much .
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by.
DeleteI love this!
ReplyDeleteMe, too! I don't know if I'll ever be able to sell the house, but that's okay for now.
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